Bupa and Landcare Australia have announced the 28 recipients of the 2025 Healthy Cities Landcare Grants Program, who will receive a share of $1 million in funding to support environmental restoration projects.
Returning for its second year, the program will see 96,500 native trees, shrubs and ground covers planted across Australia.
The grants have been made available as part of Bupa’s Healthy Cities Challenge, which has seen over $1 million invested for environmental restoration projects in Australia and New Zealand as a result of the billions of steps taken by participants. The successful projects represent a diverse range of community groups and organisations dedicated to encouraging outdoor community participation and restoring healthy, biodiverse environments, recognising that healthy environments create healthier, more connected communities.
Funded projects include:
Castle Hill, NSW: Greater Sydney Landcare will engage the local community to restore the essential habitat corridor along The Ponds Creek.
Dubbo, NSW: Mid Lachlan Landcare Inc will improve shading on a popular pathway with trees to enable outdoor recreation in our hot summers and increase riverine health.
Caboolture, QLD: Friends of Lagoon Creek Group Inc will improve and accelerate their bushcare and expand their community tree planting program.
Herston, QLD: Brisbane Intrepid Landcare will establish a healthy ecosystem on a highly degraded site, offering a unique ecosystem in an urban environment to be revitalised with plants, animals and insects.
Victor Harbor, SA: Biodiversity Victor Harbor Inc will revegetate and improve habitat areas of the much loved and visited Bluff (Rosetta Head) as a community.
Dodges Ferry, TAS: Southern Beaches Landcare will enhance the beach entrance to Primrose Sands so that all of the community can benefit and enjoy.
Footscray, VIC: Maribyrnong City Council will revegetate areas with the community to create habitat for wildlife, expand planting zones, enhance biodiversity and support a healthier natural environment.
Shepparton, VIC: Goulburn Murray Landcare Network will engage the community to restore habitat and increase biodiversity by planting native wetland species through education, promoting awareness, health and wellbeing.
Busselton, WA: City of Busselton will engage Traditional Owners and the community to protect high conservation value bushland in recreational reserves in Dunsborough.
Kensington, WA: Friends of Jirdarup Bushland Inc will revegetate degraded areas along the perimeter of the Kensington Bushland amid urban expansion.
Landcare Australia CEO, Dr Shane Norrish said “It’s truly exciting to partner with Bupa and extend this funding for another year. Each project reflects a tremendous commitment to community, by creating benefits that extend beyond environmental health while also supporting physical and mental wellbeing. These initiatives not only restore local environments but also create spaces that can be enjoyed by the wider community for years to come.”
Bupa Asia Pacific Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer, Roger Sharp said “As a health and care company, we recognise that the wellbeing of people is inseparable from the health of our planet. That’s why we’re thrilled to see the billions of steps taken through our 2025 Healthy Cities Challenge unlocking vital funding for transformative environmental projects that will make a tangible and positive impact on local communities. This collective effort demonstrates how every step we take together can help build a healthier, more sustainable future.”
For more information about the Healthy Cities Landcare Grants and the $1 million in funding, click here.